Litter Box Train a Persian Cat

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Litter box train a Persian cat.

Maybe they don’t want their long hair sullied, but for whatever reason, Persian cats have quite a reputation for being difficult to litter box train. You might be finding that your Persian is spending more time pawing around at the sides of the litterbox than inside it.

Peeing and defecation outside the litter box is probably the most popular cat behavior problem we’ve come across.

If your own longhaired cat (who was already trained) starts to urinate or poop outside the cat box, go to see your veterinarian first; the vet will be able to rule out any medical causes.

Here are quick tips:

• Before beginning your Persian cat litter training, ensure that your longhaired kitten has its own litterbox, and that it isn’t so gigantic that she cannot climb in and out of it with ease.
• Use a nonscented kitty litter, and fill the box just a few inches deep (3 or 4 inches is fine). Feel free to experiment here, but you may find that the best kitty litter to use for a Persian is a clay-type clumping litter. Others swear by the type that doesn’t clump together when it’s wet. The important thing for Persians (who have powerful noses) is no perfumes. Added perfume can aggravate allergies and make the litter tray far less attractive to your long hair kitten.
• Keep the box in a quiet location, where it’s easy to access but still far from your cat’s eating area. Keep it in one location; small changes like this can confuse a kitten.
• Little Persian paws can make a mess, so place a matt beneath the litter tray.
• After every meal, bring your kitten to the box. If necessary, scratch the litter with your hand to get the point across to your pet.
• Praise your kitty and offer a pet treat every time she uses the potty. But keep an eye out to make sure she doesn’t go potty elsewhere in your house.
• Maintain a clean and tidy litter box; your Persian kitten will use it more regularly this way. Scoop out the large cat turds and urine clumps daily, and change the litter altogether once a week. If you notice bad odor (another unfortunate Persian hallmark), try spritzing the litter with an antibacterial spray, then add a bit of fresh litter on top.

Photo: kenyai/Flickr

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